The Black Irish Band was delighted to return to Monterey as a headline act for First Night Monterey for the XXth year in 2023. Audiences from all over California drive to meet us and spend a little time listening to sea shanties, traditional Irish music, and songs of the Gold Rush, in an area rich with its own stories. Monterey is Steinbeck Country, and Cannery Row still echoes with the ghosts of sailors, fishermen, and refugees from the Dust Bowl.
We also welcomed our newest and fifth member, Micha, a Monterey local. He brings with him not only the seafaring notes from his whistles, but also a rich maritime history of his own: his grandfather, a merchant marine, died in a bar fight in New Orleans over who tied the best sailor knots.
So we’re looking forward to seeing you again soon in Monterey. We love hearing from our audience members, many of whom have been coming to see us for years. Thanks Monterey!